After Hours
by Rhianona
Summary: After realizing she needs to get out more, Penelope heads to a club on the recommendation of a friend. There, she has fun, and meets a familiar face. club!fic, N.Tonks/Penelope


_**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**_

_Pairing: Penelope Clearwater/Nymphadora Tonks; past Penelope/Percy  
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_W__ritten for looney4lupin for femmefest on livejournal: She __asked for, among other things: Penelope/Tonks, angst, club!fic, hands, alcohol. This takes place in the summer directly after __Order of the Phoenix._

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Penelope walks into the club, dressed in clothing that she's assured is quite appropriate for club-wear, and looks around nervously. She has trouble believing she's even here, but her colleague at the Ministry had gushed about this club and how "it's the hottest place in town, Penny and you really need to go out and have some fun!" She can't really complain at Marlene's assessment of her life. Penelope is more than aware that she doesn't have the most exciting of a social life - didn't even when she dated Percy - and frankly, she's tired of sitting home at night, like some maiden aunt.

She's never really been into the club scene - far too much of a studious Ravenclaw for that - but Marlene's right in one respect: Penelope needs to get out of her flat. Ever since she ended her relationship with Percy Weasley, she's not done much of anything except mope. At least Percy has stopped trying to contact her, but breaking up with him also showed her how much she had let lapse her friendships. Only two years out of Hogwarts, and already she's lost touch with many of her friends. Of course, most of her friends are desperately trying to figure out a way to survive the nascent war with Voldemort. It's difficult to re-ignite friendships when war is on the doorsteps, even if it seems that Voldemort and his supporters are lying low since that group of Death Eaters were caught in the Ministry in June. Penelope is even considering leaving the country - or going into hiding. Voldemort won't want her on his side - not with her half-blood status.

Taking a deep breath, she banishes those troubling thoughts and instead, heads further inside. She wants to forget, to enjoy herself. It shouldn't be too hard, even if she's not gone out on the pull in ages. Not since before Percy.

_No more thoughts of Percy,_ she tells herself harshly, plastering a smile on her face and allows herself to be jostled along to the bar. She orders the first drink she can think of and turns around to survey the dance floor. It's crowded with all sorts of people - scantily clad and grinding against each other irregardless of gender. She's happy to see that her clothes - borrowed from Marlene and spelled to fit her properly - are more than sufficient. Already other club goers had expressed their admiration for her. Combined with the drink she finishes off, it's enough to give her the courage to step forward into the dance floor.

Hogwarts doesn't sponsor school dances, and its students don't have the opportunity to go to clubs until they graduate. Penelope has been to a few clubs since she graduated, but never alone and she's a little uncertain as she's swept up into the crowd. As a single, young, pretty woman, she has partners clamoring to dance with her, and eventually, she just lets the music take her, losing herself in the sound and rhythm in a way that is so very uncharacteristic of her. It's primitive and absolutely _wonderful_. To her surprise, she's not even groped - accidentally or otherwise. So much for the warnings Marlene had pressed on her. But then, the people here seem more concerned with enjoying themselves than making unwanted advances.

It's exactly what she needs.

After a while, Penelope leaves the dance floor and heads to the ladies for a bit of a breather. Her shirt is soaked with sweat, her skin glistening with it, and she's happy she pulled her hair up and out of the way. She can't imagine what dancing would be like with her long, curly hair loosed from its bonds.

The line to the look is long - as it always is and one day she'll figure out just _why _that is - but her fellow queue-members keep up a nice chat, and Penelope finds herself smiling at just how ordinary all this is. Even inside, the chatter is kept up and various girls give her suggestions and hints whilst she's fixing up her appearance. It's almost like being back at the dorm.

Dancing is thirsty work, and she figures she's already sweated out the alcohol from her first drink. A second won't do her any harm. The power of the girl holds firm, and some young gent buys her a drink while she's waiting to catch the bartenders eye. She flirts with him, happy to take his compliments, but feels no attraction to him. Soon, she feels restless, and leaves him for the frenzy of the dance floor. She disappears into its anonymity before he can protest, ready for something more than just dancing and mindless chatter.

It's easier this time, to just let herself go - no holding back. She immediately finds some partners, ones who appreciate the way her body moves under the swirling lights above. She smiles and tosses her head, bodies pressing against her - random strangers holding her to them and grinding against her. It's like sex with a hundred different people - except she doesn't feel any satisfaction. She still feels the restless energy that drove her to get out of her flat tonight - get out and do something - find _someone_ - filling her, so she moves further into the crowd.

_There,_ she tells herself, her eye catching the attractive form of a woman dancing with abandon a few feet from her. Penelope can't even say _why_ she wants to know this woman; it's not as if she's dressed to attract and seduce others to her. But there is a vibrancy to her that just _calls_ to her and Penelope knows she wants to circle around the other woman's orbit, even if it's only for a song or two.

Penelope has not idea what is going through her mind at this moment. Before this moment, she hasn't even realized she wants something more than just going out. She's never picked up a stranger before, and while she fooled around with a couple of the girls in her dorm, she's never really felt that attracted to women before. There is just something about this woman though, that calls to Penelope in a way no one else has. And she's not foolish enough to think anything that happens will last more than a couple of hours - the night if she's really lucky - but she wants to at least _try_.

She sidles up to the other woman, and displaces one of her dance partners. Violet eyes meet her own with a mischievous glint, but no objection. Penelope daringly leans closer, circling the woman with her arms, pulling her against herself. She laughs, her head thrown back in pure enjoyment and the music just takes them away.

A few songs later, Penelope is led off the dance floor, her hand caught in the other's grip. It doesn't feel possessive, and she trips after the other happily. Her companion pulls her to the bar, and orders a couple of drinks for them, before finding somewhere they can converse. Not that they can really have much of a conversation, not with the very loud music blasting from speakers and the noise of the crowd.

They're standing half in shadow and half in light, and Penelope takes the opportunity to actually _look_ at her new friend. She almost makes Penelope look stodgy in her simple black dress that's tight in all the right places, and just the right length. In contrast, the other woman wears black leather trousers that look painted on, with a ripped black tee. Her hair is a familiar shade of pink and Penelope blinks as her mind trips over the fact that she _knows_ this woman.

"Tonks?" she half gasps, half chokes, her drink spilling over her wrist. Sure, the pretty metamorph had not only been in different house than her, but had also graduated a few years before her, but pretty much everyone had known Tonks. Plus, they both worked in the Ministry, albeit in different departments.

"Wotcher, Clearwater," Tonks says, smiling a little. "Never expected to see you someplace like this."

Penelope can feel heat on her face; once, years ago, she had had an awful crush on the pretty Hufflepuff. However, she was three years younger than the other woman, and at the time, far too shy to even consider making a move on an older, _female_ classmate who was also in a different house than her own. Tonks has a beauty that underlies nearly every shape she morphs into, but Penelope is also pretty sure that _this_ is Tonks true form. It doesn't matter; Tonks is gorgeous and just what she wanted to find when she came here. So she shrugs. "You haven't seen me for a while." It's flirtatious and sounds really fucking corny, but Tonks just laughs, her head tilting back and it's all Penelope can do not to lean forward and _lick_ a path up her neck.

"You've grown up," Tonks says, and leans closer. "Want to get out of here?" So simple and just like that. Suddenly, Penelope is happy she found someone she knows because she doesn't know how the hell she would have propositioned someone - anyone - else this night. She nods dumbly and lets Tonks weave an arm around hers and lead her out of the club.

Penelope shivers as the cool night air hits her. It's July, but the heat outside is nothing compared to the temperature in the club. Tonks leans closer to her. "My place okay?" she offers and again, Penelope nods. They side-along apparate, and Tonks lets her into a modest-sized flat.

She looks around, curious to see what it looks like. It's just like any other wizard's flat, but like her own, reflects the mixed heritage Tonks holds. Muggle and wizard sit side by side. She almost jumps as Tonks places her hands on her shoulders, turning her so they face each other.

"You okay? 'Cause if you changed your mind? You don't have to stay," she offers.

"No…," Penelope says softly. "No," she says, again - stronger this time, and she links her arms around Tonks' waist. They are almost of equal height and it makes it easier to kiss the other woman.

Tonks has soft lips and she opens her mouth in surprise as Penelope demonstrates just how very much she wants to be here. There is passion and lust and all sorts of other delicious feelings that neither put name to. Eventually, Tonks pushes her towards the bedroom. Penelope follows willingly.

It's just for the night, and doesn't really mean anything. But it's still fucking fantastic, and she tries to show Tonks just how much she _wants_ this, calling on skills she hasn't touched in years. They fall back onto the bed and Penelope is pretty sure she's surprised Tonks by being so aggressive, if the surprised gasp says anything. She doesn't care. Tonks is an auror and if she's really uncomfortable with anything Penelope is doing, she'll act.

She peels the clothes off of Tonks, before stripping her own off in one movement. Naked, she just kneels above Tonks for a moment, looking her full. She has no idea if this is Tonks' base form, or something she uses when she's out on the pull, but Penelope doesn't mind one way or the other. She lets one hand drift over the skin before her, touching and feeling and learning. She wants to savor all of this.

Soon, she dips her head and lets her lips follow the path her hand had taken, over Tonks' neck and collarbone, nipping gently at the swell of breasts beneath her, circling the oh-so-responsive nipples, and suckling gently. Tonks clutches her, and Penelope figures she's doing something right.

Tonks isn't content to just let Penelope act on her own and soon, Penelope's caresses are met with matching ones from Tonks. It's exhilarating, feeling another woman's hands on her body, feeling her body quicken with desire as Tonks demonstrates just how good she is with tongue and teeth.

In the aftermath, Penelope pants for air held in the arms of Tonks. "Thank you," she politely says and Tonks just laughs. "Don't get all polite on me now," she commands and leans over her. Penelope smiles at the wicked grin on Tonks' face, and meets her as they begin all over again.

When Marlene asks her how she liked the club the next day, Penelope shrugs and admits she'll probably return. She hides the smirk behind her hair. No need for her colleague to realize just how good a time she had. After all, a girl had to keep _some_ things to herself.

_/fin_


End file.
